1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to tooling for machining operations and, more particularly, directed to a connector for securing a toolholder to a toolholder support member.
2. Description of Related Art
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate prior art designs, whereby a first toolholder 10 is secured within a second toolholder 15 utilizing a differential connector 20. The second toolholder 15, which is a tapered adapter, is mounted within a machine tool (not shown). The first toolholder 10 includes a cutting insert 25 typically used for boring operations. For boring operations or any operation wherein the cutting insert 25 must be located with precision, the mating of the first toolholder 10 and second toolholder 15 becomes critical and this is especially true with respect to the rotational orientation of the first toolholder 10 relative to the second toolholder 15. To ensure a precise radially relationship between the first toolholder 10 and the second toolholder 15, an alignment pin 30 protruding from the face 37 of the first toolholder 10 must mate with an alignment slot 35 in the face 39 of the second toolholder 15. Threads 40 on the differential connector 20 engage matching threads 41 within the second toolholder 15, while threads 45 engage matching threads 47 within the bore 48 of the first toolholder 10. The threads 40 and the threads 45, along with their respective matching threads 41, 47, have different pitches so that rotation of the differential connector 20 draws the first toolholder 10 into or away from the second toolholder 15. Once the threads are engaged, then by rotating the differential connector 20, the first toolholder 10 is drawn into the second toolholder 15. However, in order to engage the alignment pin 30 within the alignment slot 35, it is necessary to advance the differential connector 20 when the first toolholder 10 is very close to the second toolholder 15 and when the alignment pin 30 is lined up with the alignment slot. It is furthermore necessary to access the differential connector 20 through the bore 50 extending though the toolholder 15 to access a hex 52 within the first end 22 of the differential connector 20.
However, with this arrangement, when the first toolholder 10 must be removed from the second toolholder 15, access is required through the bore 50 to rotate the differential connector 20 to separate the first toolholder 10 from the second toolholder 15. The current design requires a particular wrench that is introduced from the back of the second toolholder 15 through the bore 50 to engage the differential connector 20 and to release the first toolholder 10.
A design is desired to not only eliminate the need to access a differential connector 20 through a bore 50 extending through the second toolholder, but furthermore, an arrangement is desired to make easier the positioning of the alignment pin 30 relative to the alignment slot 35 prior to mating the first toolholder 10 to the second toolholder 15.